Your step by step, smooth & concise method of explaining your scanning process is superb!! The video clarity is better than most, your editing is excellent. You've got me as a subscriber!
I have a scanner and I found your system complicated. Although the images are stunning. I have to say you are my favorite "vloger" and I am subscribed to every film channel on CZcams. Glad to find this channel. Keep up the good work.
Really enjoyed this video. Andrew of EFH sent it to me because I haven't had any success using the border film holder. Prior to taping your light pad (not sure that's something I want to do just yet, potentially ruining an expensive light pad), did you have light leak issues with the EFH holder?
Hi Tom, just found your channel and am really enjoying the content. Solid information presented in a well thought of way that’s easy to watch and entertaining. Looking forward to more!
Very nice, rational approach. Only thing I would add is to make a few test shots of a color chart and see if some of the settings in Negative Lab Pro that you use affect hues in a way you didn't expect.
Best start to finish video I’ve seen. Thanks for the help. I have an epsom v600 I guess I’ll keep for documents and start using my Canon SL2 camera for photo scans. My goal eventually is to go old school with film and get a darkroom set-up. All the best. Jim from Georgia
That was really helpful. Have a stack of old 120/620 and 35mm b&w/color negatives plus mounted 120 and 35mm color slides that I want to convert to digital...this system may work. We already have a tripod plus an XT3 with an 80mm macro, so need a lightbox and software. Had been looking at scanners but tough to find anything for 120 film OR for mounted slides (esp 120). This gives me a starting point.
Super interesting! Something I find annoying with scanning is the bright edges. Always seems to happen on certain scenes, looks like it’s visible on that 6x7 portrait you scanned too. Weird because that means it’s dark edges on the negative.
Thank You! I have noticed that when scanning a 35mm film image on the XT3 or XT4, you don't get the whole image. Have you found this as well? I too am starting to scan off of a lightbox and the Valli 360 negative mount system.
I just purchased the essential film holder and your CZcams video was mentioned by Andrew. May I ask do you have manual focus issues with the Fujifilm 60mm when taking a picture of the negative ? It has been mentioned in a few forums that this particular lens has problems achieving decent auto focus and the manual focus goes on the fritz. Being a Fujifilm camera owner I hope to purchase a lens for scanning.
No I’ve never had any issues with the 60mm macro. It’s been the only lens I’ve ever used for scanning my negatives and I’ve always been happy with the results.
I've been using SilverFast 9 SE (free download from LaserSoft Imaging) with the Epson V600 that I use. It does a GREAT job of handling dust & scanners, using an Infra Red scanning process! Also the 3-4 levels & color adjustment features is fairly good. Yes, the scanner process is relatively slow! (But I just do something else - tab over to Final Cut Pro X & work there, for example.) Tom, how to you handle getting rid of dust & scratches?
Also have a look at Grain2Pixel, you might be pleasantly surprised. For me at least, it has given the best results so far. It won’t cost you much to try it, it’s free (for the moment).
Thanks Gordon. I actually find i get perfectly acceptable 35mm scans with it. Saying that I don’t shoot a lot of 35mm anymore. Mostly 120. You should be able to find some samples on my Instagram though.
Thank for the video! Very usefull. Ordered EFH myself, can't wait to try it myself. Tired of spending half an hour to scan one roll with my epson V800. I have a pixel-latr whith is just a plain frustration to use. Just poorely engeneered piece. Seems like the EFH is a lot better. Could you please tell what is the other large brush that you use to clean the negatives?
Just found your video today and thank you for your great work. I am planning to add the Mcex-16 macro extension tube to the xf18-55 and use the iPad LightBox apps for scanning film purpose. Will it work？ thanks.
@@Tom-Humble many thanks for your reply. just did testing using phone but I saw the grid of ipad pixels in the taken photos...............not sure if anything can help on this
@@markstephen2051 when using iPad as a light source you need to lift the negative off the pad. Use a piece of clear glass or plastic or a dedicated holder like the essential film holder which is linked in the description.
@@Tom-Humble so sorry, may I consult you on one more issue. I am using a 20 years old photo Id negative for testing purpose. Not like your good self and many other photographers having a relatively red in colour photo, my raw photo on that negative are in purple colour. I have shot that on iPad, on iPad when all the light are turned off and even under sunshine (at noon when the sunlight is close to 5600k). The result is almost the same. Tried the Kodak and photomyne apps, I saw the negative was in a very greenish colour in the phone screen. Not sure if this is the issue of the negative or it is my setting’s problem. Thank you.
Hey Tom, a very informative video! How much difference in light quality/results do you see between using iPad Pro + EFH and Kaiser + EFH? Do you possibly have any examples?
Gunnar Berg I’ve heard arguments for both and personally I’ve never owned a scanner to compare. All I know is that since starting camera scanning I’m getting significantly better results than what I used to get from my lab. Including much less grain.
Hi Gunnar Berg, I use the following setup: the blue negative holder that is shown at the beginnin of the video for 35mm, a copy stand, Sony a7II, Sony 50mm macro lens (SEL50M2.8), 100ISO, f8, aperture priority, whitebalance @ 2500K, Kaiser slimlight plano, LR&NLP: the results are much better than scans with my Epson v800 and the Epson or Silverfast software. The results also are better than scans with my Plustek 8200 and Silverfast. However, the results with the Plustek are comparable, and I get very interesting results by scanning the negatives as positives and then converting them in LR with NLP (but it is a VERY slow process). I believe that the quality of DSLR-scan for 120-negatives will not be much better than with my Epson v800. However, I haven‘t tested this extensively. For 120mm I also use the Essential Film Holder or the DigitaLiza film holder. So... I do not know the quality of the Epson v850, but the results with NLP are pretty good and most of all, it is much faster.
I’ve been trying to get consistent results and I feel like it’s so hard even when I shoot in direct darkness, no bother, etcc and sometimes I get wonky colors. My NLP is up to date also
@@Tom-Humble light source is a light pad, I block out all of the excess light and then I use an XT4 with a macro lens to shoot the negatives. Iso no more then 400, shutter typically between 1/30 or 1/60th raw WB 5000K. I also do it in a pretty much pitch black room
@@MarvinBoydCo pretty much what I do. Except I shoot at ISO 160 with the T3 and have my SS on 1/8th and aperture at f8. Do you crop in to lose the border before the conversion?
@@Tom-Humble yup I follow all the recommended steps. If you have an Insta I can send you a video to show you how I set it up, shoot it and then convert it
great video, but sadly you can see that the negative has been not perfectly flat as the colors in the sky/field are way brighter to the sides... left and right of the model is white, almost reflecting some ambient light
Thanks. I’ve since got a lot better at DSLR scanning and no longer have this issue. Chalk it up to user error at the time of filming. But the Essential Film Holder is great for keeping the negatives flat
Kinda silly that people who scan using a flat bed poop on Mirrorless scanning by saying “I can’t imagine turning my film into digital images...” isn’t a scanner basically a sensor? Lmao
@@ikonographics they probably never heard of dodge and burn, and even then they would probably tell you that it's cheating what looks real in the first place haha!
I nearly threw my epson scanner out my window this evening so re-watching this as inspiration for getting set up to scan with my xpro3..
Your step by step, smooth & concise method of explaining your scanning process is superb!! The video clarity is better than most, your editing is excellent. You've got me as a subscriber!
Thanks! I really appreciate it
Finally, after seeing many testimonials about the Essential Film Holder, I must purchase one for 35 & 120 film. Again, thanks for a great tutorial.
Make sure you use my link to buy one as I get a small kickback 😊
Best step by step guide of using your camera to scan! Thank, I’ll refer back to your video until I totally perfect my process.
I have a scanner and I found your system complicated. Although the images are stunning. I have to say you are my favorite "vloger" and I am subscribed to every film channel on CZcams. Glad to find this channel. Keep up the good work.
Matjaž Vertuš thank you 🙏🏻
Really enjoyed this video. Andrew of EFH sent it to me because I haven't had any success using the border film holder. Prior to taping your light pad (not sure that's something I want to do just yet, potentially ruining an expensive light pad), did you have light leak issues with the EFH holder?
Hi Tom, just found your channel and am really enjoying the content. Solid information presented in a well thought of way that’s easy to watch and entertaining. Looking forward to more!
Thanks man!
great video thanks for sharing
Cheers Tom . Great Video. Confirms a lot of what I'm doing now and also helped with NLP . Hope you get off to Tenerife !
Anthony Farmer thank you!
Very nice, rational approach. Only thing I would add is to make a few test shots of a color chart and see if some of the settings in Negative Lab Pro that you use affect hues in a way you didn't expect.
Didn't think of that!
Best start to finish video I’ve seen. Thanks for the help. I have an epsom v600 I guess I’ll keep for documents and start using my Canon SL2 camera for photo scans. My goal eventually is to go old school with film and get a darkroom set-up. All the best. Jim from Georgia
Thanks Jim. That’s my goal also. Hoping to start making my own prints in 2021.
Thanks! Thinking of trying out the negative holder. Just have to see if i can get close enough with any of my cameras...
Super useful tips! Thanks!
Great video! Great photos! Subscribed!
Thank you!
Thanks!
I've been waiting for this.
Hi Tom, this is a great video that I found extremely helpful! Thanks for clearly explaining the process. Just subscribed. Cheers from USA 🇺🇸!
Thank you!
I can recommend Grain2Pixel, is free and color rendition is much better than NLP, at least on my case.
That was really helpful. Have a stack of old 120/620 and 35mm b&w/color negatives plus mounted 120 and 35mm color slides that I want to convert to digital...this system may work. We already have a tripod plus an XT3 with an 80mm macro, so need a lightbox and software. Had been looking at scanners but tough to find anything for 120 film OR for mounted slides (esp 120). This gives me a starting point.
You’re welcome. Glad it helped! Camera ‘scanning’ is a really quick and efficient way to convert negatives with great results.
Super interesting! Something I find annoying with scanning is the bright edges. Always seems to happen on certain scenes, looks like it’s visible on that 6x7 portrait you scanned too. Weird because that means it’s dark edges on the negative.
TechTech yes I’ve noticed this too. It can be fixed in lightroom though using lens corrections and applying a vignette.
Pablo Navarro so it’s not possible to scan a negative with borders without having these light leaks?
Tom, love your large format photography. How do you scan your 4X5 films?
Thank You! I have noticed that when scanning a 35mm film image on the XT3 or XT4, you don't get the whole image. Have you found this as well? I too am starting to scan off of a lightbox and the Valli 360 negative mount system.
Great video. How do you save your favourite tweaks?
Save them as a preset in LR
I just purchased the essential film holder and your CZcams video was mentioned by Andrew. May I ask do you have manual focus issues with the Fujifilm 60mm when taking a picture of the negative ? It has been mentioned in a few forums that this particular lens has problems achieving decent auto focus and the manual focus goes on the fritz. Being a Fujifilm camera owner I hope to purchase a lens for scanning.
No I’ve never had any issues with the 60mm macro. It’s been the only lens I’ve ever used for scanning my negatives and I’ve always been happy with the results.
oh wow! When did Nate send out an email for the 2.1.7 update 👀your shots look good here!
Ruff Prophet Productions it’s the beta version but if you are in the NLP Facebook group the link to download is in the pinned post.
I've been using SilverFast 9 SE (free download from LaserSoft Imaging) with the Epson V600 that I use. It does a GREAT job of handling dust & scanners, using an Infra Red scanning process! Also the 3-4 levels & color adjustment features is fairly good. Yes, the scanner process is relatively slow! (But I just do something else - tab over to Final Cut Pro X & work there, for example.) Tom, how to you handle getting rid of dust & scratches?
I edit in lightroom but I try to ensure there’s minimal dust before taking the photos of the negatives.
Also have a look at Grain2Pixel, you might be pleasantly surprised. For me at least, it has given the best results so far. It won’t cost you much to try it, it’s free (for the moment).
I've heard of it but not tried it. Will give it a go!
Great video Tom. I’m curious if you find the Fuji 60mm okay for 35mm negs, as I believe it’s only a 2:1 macro? Cheers
Thanks Gordon. I actually find i get perfectly acceptable 35mm scans with it. Saying that I don’t shoot a lot of 35mm anymore. Mostly 120. You should be able to find some samples on my Instagram though.
@@Tom-Humble Great, thanks for the info.
Thank for the video! Very usefull. Ordered EFH myself, can't wait to try it myself. Tired of spending half an hour to scan one roll with my epson V800. I have a pixel-latr whith is just a plain frustration to use. Just poorely engeneered piece. Seems like the EFH is a lot better.
Could you please tell what is the other large brush that you use to clean the negatives?
No worries! The EFH is great.
I’m not sure which one you mean. I think they all came in a set that I linked in the description.
Do you think using the fuji 35mm f1.4 + 11mm extension tube would work?
It will work but won't get you true 1:1 macro
Can you give me the link of the 3D printed holders (35 & 120). I cant find it in the description. Thanks!!
Sure thing! Here it is - www.thingiverse.com/thing:3985120
@@Tom-Humble thank you very much!
Just found your video today and thank you for your great work.
I am planning to add the Mcex-16 macro extension tube to the xf18-55 and use the iPad LightBox apps for scanning film purpose. Will it work？ thanks.
Yes it should work fine. As long as you can get close enough to fill the frame with just the negative it’ll work.
@@Tom-Humble many thanks for your reply. just did testing using phone but I saw the grid of ipad pixels in the taken photos...............not sure if anything can help on this
@@markstephen2051 when using iPad as a light source you need to lift the negative off the pad. Use a piece of clear glass or plastic or a dedicated holder like the essential film holder which is linked in the description.
@@Tom-Humble great thanks, your advice help me a lot. I will have a try.
@@Tom-Humble so sorry, may I consult you on one more issue. I am using a 20 years old photo Id negative for testing purpose. Not like your good self and many other photographers having a relatively red in colour photo, my raw photo on that negative are in purple colour. I have shot that on iPad, on iPad when all the light are turned off and even under sunshine (at noon when the sunlight is close to 5600k). The result is almost the same. Tried the Kodak and photomyne apps, I saw the negative was in a very greenish colour in the phone screen. Not sure if this is the issue of the negative or it is my setting’s problem. Thank you.
Hey Tom, a very informative video! How much difference in light quality/results do you see between using iPad Pro + EFH and Kaiser + EFH? Do you possibly have any examples?
Don’t have any samples I’m afraid but I did notice an increase in quality overall when I started using the LED light panel.
Taking a Pentax 67 with you to Tenerife ??
Anthony Farmer that was the plan. Although with the recent news it’s all up in the air at the moment.
May have to test locally , bugger !
Hi, Tom! Can I scan this way with Canon 6D and Canon 100D cameras? Thanks.
Of course. As long as you have a macro lens (preferably one that will do 1:1)
Like what temp do you set your light and camera at?
This is an interesting method that I am thinking about. The question is which gives the best results, your method or to scan from an Epson 850 PRO?
Gunnar Berg I’ve heard arguments for both and personally I’ve never owned a scanner to compare. All I know is that since starting camera scanning I’m getting significantly better results than what I used to get from my lab. Including much less grain.
Tom Humble I think that "your" method can give really good results. Think the key is that the film is as flat as possible.
Hi Gunnar Berg, I use the following setup: the blue negative holder that is shown at the beginnin of the video for 35mm, a copy stand, Sony a7II, Sony 50mm macro lens (SEL50M2.8), 100ISO, f8, aperture priority, whitebalance @ 2500K, Kaiser slimlight plano, LR&NLP: the results are much better than scans with my Epson v800 and the Epson or Silverfast software. The results also are better than scans with my Plustek 8200 and Silverfast. However, the results with the Plustek are comparable, and I get very interesting results by scanning the negatives as positives and then converting them in LR with NLP (but it is a VERY slow process). I believe that the quality of DSLR-scan for 120-negatives will not be much better than with my Epson v800. However, I haven‘t tested this extensively. For 120mm I also use the Essential Film Holder or the DigitaLiza film holder. So... I do not know the quality of the Epson v850, but the results with NLP are pretty good and most of all, it is much faster.
any special settings you use on the xt3? for color negatives speicfically
No just what I mention in the video
I’ve been trying to get consistent results and I feel like it’s so hard even when I shoot in direct darkness, no bother, etcc and sometimes I get wonky colors. My NLP is up to date also
I used to when I first started but it’s much more consistent now. What are you using as a light source?
@@Tom-Humble light source is a light pad, I block out all of the excess light and then I use an XT4 with a macro lens to shoot the negatives. Iso no more then 400, shutter typically between 1/30 or 1/60th raw WB 5000K. I also do it in a pretty much pitch black room
@@MarvinBoydCo pretty much what I do. Except I shoot at ISO 160 with the T3 and have my SS on 1/8th and aperture at f8. Do you crop in to lose the border before the conversion?
@@Tom-Humble yup I follow all the recommended steps. If you have an Insta I can send you a video to show you how I set it up, shoot it and then convert it
Yeah my insta is tomhumblephoto
great video, but sadly you can see that the negative has been not perfectly flat as the colors in the sky/field are way brighter to the sides... left and right of the model is white, almost reflecting some ambient light
Thanks. I’ve since got a lot better at DSLR scanning and no longer have this issue. Chalk it up to user error at the time of filming. But the Essential Film Holder is great for keeping the negatives flat
The level app - the name of the app please?
It’s built into the iPhone in the measure app
Kinda silly that people who scan using a flat bed poop on Mirrorless scanning by saying “I can’t imagine turning my film into digital images...” isn’t a scanner basically a sensor? Lmao
every single time i hear "editing is cheating bla bla bla" i just show some Pablo Iniro's work to shut anyone up.
Too true!
Anyone who thinks "editing is cheating" has never made prints in a darkroom. Where do they think "dodge" and "burn" come from?
@@ikonographics they probably never heard of dodge and burn, and even then they would probably tell you that it's cheating what looks real in the first place haha!